Check out my experiences in the Linux world. Stay tunned for updates/reviews!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

What's your favorite Ubuntu so far?

Ubuntu is clearly the most popular Linux distro right now, a position that far from changing, seems to be getting more accentuated with every release. Considering the youth of the project, the Ubuntu phenomenon is nothing short of amazing. Since its first release, just six years ago, the former "brown" distro has managed to convince both the expert as well as the novice all across the world.

The following list contains all Ubuntu releases so far:

Version

Released on

Codename

Ubuntu 10.04

April 2010

Lucid Lynx

Ubuntu 9.10

October 2009

Karmic Koala

Ubuntu 9.04

April 2009

Jaunty Jackalope

Ubuntu 8.10

October 2008

Intrepid Ibex

Ubuntu 8.04

April 2008

Hardy Heron

Ubuntu 7.10

October 2007

Gutsy Gibbon

Ubuntu 7.04

April 2007

Feisty Fawn

Ubuntu 6.10

October 2006

Edgy Eft

Ubuntu 6.04

April 2006

Dapper Drake

Ubuntu 5.10

October 2005

Breezy Badger

Ubuntu 5.04

April 2005

Hoary Hedgehog

Ubuntu 4.10

October 2004

Warty Warthog

No matter when it happens, though, there is an ongoing trend with every release: Endless discussions about that particular release being better or worse than the previous ones. However, I have noticed that people usually settle down with any release and are happy with it as soon as the corresponding maintenance patches are made available.

So, are those discussions and comparisons a waste of time, a result of the initial lack of stability which is often part of a brand new release? Is there anything about certain releases that made them stand out? I want to know what you think and if you have any favorite Ubuntu release.

I think this article stresses what I've been saying to other open source addicts for a while: "Know Your End User".

After getting one of those ridiculous "Your computer is infected with malware, pay us money and we may take it off" root kits, my sixty five year old dad was all about trying ubuntu. After setting up Evolution, chromium and open office he's happier than a pig in S**t. He even likes the solitaire game better.

However I also have this hipster friend who is all about the image of "Fighting the man" became quite interested in Linux when she heard that Ubuntu was "Socialistic solution to consumerist software problems" (That is a DIRECT QUOTE. They don't make an emocon that rolls it's eyes hard enough for this...) After telling her that GIMP is much different than Photo Shop, That using proprietary apple products could be tricky, that The Sim's doesn't do so hot under WINE and that "that Starbucks thing" went much better with a Mac... She called me an A**hole and stuck with vista.